Garmin Tacx NEO 2T Smart Direct Drive Trainer

I upgraded my Lemond Revolution non-smart trainer to the Garmin NEO 2T to set up for post-ACL surgery recovery, knowing I would need more stimulus than the concrete floor.

I was a bit worried about the fussiness and configuration for a smart trainer, but setup was straightforward and I was able to use my existing Garmin Connect account to get up and running quickly with the Tacx app. Connecting to Zwift was a bit more complicated and required several trips to the web before success. MyWhoosh was a similar experience. Overall, I've been pleased with the reliability and ease of use.

Pros:

- The unit is very quiet, especially compared to the fan-driven Lemond. So quiet all you really hear is the chain going over the sprockets.

- Easy setup, for a smart trainer, and re-starts have been very reliable.

- Decent Tacx app experience with a nice set of demo videos and simple workout controls. Works with all other major services.

- Works without power, so if you want a simple ride or need to warm up on it before a race, you can.

- Fun features like road surface simulation increases the verisimilitude of the experience.

- Plenty of resistance--so far. I haven't pushed it to the limit yet but have no concerns about it.

- Solid and stable. It's a bit heavy if you are moving it around frequently, but it also doesn't shimmy or bounce around under harder efforts.

Cons:

- It's not the most expensive unit out there, nor is it the cheapest, but ~$1k is worth a second thought

- A monthly subscription ($10-15/month) is required to one or more services to fully benefit from capabilities of the trainer. If you're willing to drop $1k for a trainer, this probably isn't a concern.

- Setup is more involved than an analog trainer -- you need at minimum a mobile device to run the trainer and larger screen (tablet, monitor) to get the full experience.

- You also need a place to put the display so you can see it properly and interact with the app when necessary. You'll also want a fan for air circulation since you get very warm very quickly indoors. If you don't have a dedicated space and equipment for it, you'll be spending a chunk of time setting it up for each session. This however is true for any indoor cycling experience.

Over the past 5 years I've gone through the gamut of indoor trainers, starting with low end wheel-on, rollers, eventually springing for direct drive. The wheel-on options never impressed--too noisy, unrealistic feel, chews through tires, etc. I wound up just continuing to ride through winter with better clothing. I did really like rollers for realistic feel and forcing improvements to pedal stroke smoothness, but let's face it--even a second of distraction on rollers can lead to crash/injury, so not exactly something to spin away while streaming. So if you're serious about indoor training, you'll eventually come around to direct drive.

Now when it comes to direct drive, there are a handful of options, and I've used three of the top brands. You can't go wrong with any of them IMO, though I'll point out a couple aspects of this one that on my scorecard put it slightly ahead of the rest:

1--whisper quiet. The nicer ones are all quiet, this one makes no sound at all unless you plug it in, in which case it comically CREATES a but of noise by spinning the freewheel hub when you are simulating descent so that it adds a touch of realism (and this can be disabled if you find that annoying)

2--supports a bit of side to side rocker motion. Fixed/locked trainers only unrealistic "feel" is when you amp up the effort, sprint, etc. and don't get that real-world swaying of the frame. This is why there are a few (expensive) rocker plate solutions for the higher end cyclists. This supports a few degrees of side to side swaying that makes for a more comfortable and realistic ride.

3--a gimmick, to be sure, but this simulates "road surface" changes. So if you're on Zwift and hit a stretch of dirt or cobbles, you'll feel small vibration. I personally think it's cute but if given a choice of including it or dropping the price by $25-50 without this, I'd ditch it. It's very minor vibration, hardly Roubaix pave...

All the main specs, ease of setup, etc. are just what you'd expect at this end of the market, simply outstanding.

Two years ago I decided to save money and get a KickR Core instead of this. The KickR has worked great, but recently I realized I wanted the added features this offers, sold the KickR for a good price, and got one of these at a great discount here.

(1) Autocalibrate: great not to have to remember when spin-down calibrations are due, even though they are simple to run.

(2) Downhill simulation makes sessions far more realistic. On the road, downhills give you a break so the ride is a series of "intervals" and "recoveries". With the Neo 2T, on a 7% downgrade you can stop pedaling and see speed build as you coast!

(3) Left-right swaying also adds realism. Even though I don't rock the bike that much on the road, even while out of the saddle, having the bike on a rigid-mount trainer means you push against it in a way you don't on the road.

(4) Even smoother and quieter than the KickR, which is pretty quiet. The KickR tended to rumble at speed in big gears, which this trainer does not seem to do.

I can't feel the flywheel's variability but it seems a good idea.

Good thing I don't care about RRF (Real Road Feel), it doesn't add realism for me: (a) it doesn't activate over visible single bumps, it just works on bumpy stretches (cobblestones, brick paving), (b) it generates bumps only through the pedals, whereas on the road you feel them through the handlebars and saddle as well. I shut it off.

My 700c road bike did not mount level on it, which can affect how your saddle works for you. Measuring axle-to-axle, the rear end was LOW by 5/8"-3/4", so I put 3/4" plywood beneath the trainer to raise it. The side-side swaying makes the front wheel chock necessary to keep the bars from flopping around, so replacing the chock with thinner wood shims to lower the front end was not an option.

I use it with Zwift for general riding and Sufferfest for training. Time saver. The best workouts in the shortest amount of time during the week. Most liken to road feel. Love the the ability to rock left and right, just like riding outside.

Very late to the smart trainer / virtual cycling movement. Finally made the leap and purchased the Tacx Neo 2T, set it up with a spare SRAM 10sp cassette I had collecting dust, and signed up for Zwift. The Neo 2T is fantastic: easy to set up, smooth and quiet, simulates road feel/tension/vibration well, pairs flawlessly with all my devices, and looks beautiful to boot. Indoor training is an absolute pleasure now, and I�ve hardly missed a day of spinning in the past 3 months.

I've used TacX trainers for the last 10 years, and have appreciated them immensely for the days when it was not possible to ride outdoors. I have looked at other brands of trainers including the virtual reality trainers that are out there, but they do not quite meet the standards of the TacX trainer. I purchased this newest trainer as an upgrade. So, there are things I love and hate about this trainer. Love items: 1. It is much quieter, making almost no noise at all. 2. The rides offered by Garmin/TacX are of superb quality. 3. The new program now almost never crashes. 4. There is much more functionality in the latest program. 5. Most important, this trainer does a phenomenal job of simulating real life. It is closest to anything I've ever been on to date that matches the strain I would see when I was actually on a bicycle in real life. Items I hate about this trainer. 1. I had quite a few rides from the past version of the trainer and had to essentially toss them all in the garbage. I had rides that I had really enjoyed, and their new system did NOT include those rides. Torture me! 2. They have included NO filmed rides from North America. The rides they offer are nothing but gps simulations through Google. Cheap! Does the TacX crew have an allergy to the USA????? Their old system had quite a few filmed USA rides. What is their problem????? 3. The films come through a subscription service of pay by month. I totally detest subscription services. Totally. So, I ride 8-9 months on the trainer and then spend the summer/fall on a real bicycle. 4. The assembly instructions are terrible. I mean, absolutely terrible. My derailleur drags on the trainer in the lowest gears. They have instructions to fix that, but they are completely in error and are impossible to follow through on. So, I have to avoid using my largest cassette gear. In terms of mounting the bicycle on the trainer, the cassette gears are offset enough that one needs to completely re-tune up the front and rear derailleur. If you don't know how to tune your bicycle, then this trainer should definitely be avoided.

Works as advetised, a little confusing to set up & took me a minute or 75 to get the Zwift app to pair to it. But with some help from a techy friend, was able to get it done.. So far (6 Weeks) I'm enjoying the virtual indoor experience a lot more than I thought I would.

Originally I planned to purchase the Wahoo Kickr v5, but Wahoo decided to hike (now they regretted it) when I pulled the trigger. The ride feel is very real, it's very quiet, much quieter than my drivetrain and fans. The free motion plates is a nice addition (though I never understood Garmin priced it so expensively). Most importantly, it looks COOL! I have clocked more than 2000 kms of virtual rides on Zwift since October 2022, so it's definitely a worthy investment.

I retired an Elite Direto that had all the problems associated with it. It broke a belt, had frequent calibration to factory setting, and read power that was 5-10% off from Vector 3 pedals, weak or slow Bluetooth connection, you name it. With the 3M out now, I got this Neo 2T at a great price. Magnetic drive means no belts, no calibration, no-pedal downhill simulation, solid Bluetooth connection, better accuracy, and way more quiet. Several hundred less than a Kickr V6 and double the warranty period. Its not perfect, I hope mine doesnt suffer from bearing issues and sprinting with magnetic drive feels way worse than with belt drive, but until there is a perfect trainer I am happy with the Neo 2T.

caught a good sale price and had to pull the trigger! i didnt like riding indoors when i tried it a few years ago but i'm liking it a lot more this time.

the trainer is pretty quiet, easy to set up and has operated flawlessly so far. love being able to ride all winter without worrying about early sunsets, rain or any of the other stuff that comes with the PNW winter experience

I bought this to be able to ride in the winter. If below 65 degrees i just get too cold on the bike. Since setting up I have rode over a dozen rides mainly using video. This is the first smart trainer I have used and it is the bomb! I have realized that Florida doesn't have any hills and a moderate ride is killing me. I have not even attempted the hard or extreme rides!! I would recommend this trainer! LOVE IT!

I did a lot of research before purchasing my 1st trainer in Feb 2021. The original brand that I purchased back then was in the same category as this trainer. While both perform at very high levels, the Neo 2T can mimic up to a 25% grade vs my other trainer at 20%. In addition, this trainer is a little quieter (perhaps the quietest of all trainers in this category) and can also operate without electrical power. You'll pay a little more for this trainer compared to others in the same category, but it is worth the investment. Only downside is that it is not quite as portable as my other trainer, but I'm not planning to port this one around to another location very often.

Easily the best trainer I've owned. No issues with connecting to TrainerRoad for workouts, no need for calibration before each ride. I've forgotten to plug it in before several rides and only realize it about 10-15 minutes into the workout since this thing can work without needing to be connected to a wall outlet. It rocks with you as you ride and reduces saddle soreness that comes with other stationary trainers. I can't recommend it enough, obviously expensive, but well worth it.

I was looking for an indoor trainer to help me maintain my legs during the off season when it is below 40 degrees outside . The side to side movement mirrors an actual ride . When riding a course in the Foirds of Norway I leaned when I rode around a curve . Love that I can download our morning training ride course to my Garmin 1030 Plus and ride that course feeling all the changes in elavation , resistance riding up the hill and free wheeling going down .

I love this trainer and. I hate riding indoors. It is accurate (stays in line with both an NgEco and Garmin Rally), very comfortable(side to side motion is huge), stable, and quiet. By far the most realistic trainer I have used I came from a kickr gen 2 and kickr 18. I won't be going back to the Wahoo line. This feels too good. The flywheel based trainers don't feel realistic in less you tow a baby carrier behind you. I had constant bugs with my Kickr and always afraid to update the firmware. This makes indoor training tolerable. A word of warning, my kickr was reading close to 10-15% higher on climbs so it was kind of a bummer to be taken back to reality with an accurate trainer. But what's the point if it's not accurate?

I got the smart trainer for a fair discount. I've had it for 2 months. Initial set up done within 20 minutes. Just add your cassette of choice, plug it in, calibrate/update with the app and it's good to go. Runs smooth with optimal noise level. Connectivity is seamless. I use Zwift and Rouvy. It's responsive and I can really feel the gradient (especially on 25%ers on Rouvy). You may need to use the spacers (washers) included in the box when your RD Pulley hits the trainer and makes extra noise (instructions found on Tacx Faqx Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVUp3ou6cq4). Besides the fixable minor issue, it's worth it.

When you do a lot of indoor training always having to do a spindown after 10 minutes of riding is a major hurdle. Tacx Neo 2T doesn't require that. Getting accurate power measures without having to do so is a major plus. Also, I really like the road feel simulation on gravel, cobble, wood, etc surfaces. It adds a fresh sensation on otherwise monotonous indoor trainer rides.

Besides the two major points, I also like the look of the trainer. The light emitted towards the ground makes it look futuristic and cool.

I've been using a wheel on trainer for years with the plan on moving to a direct drive. I ride 7 months out of the year indoors utilizing Zwift and Sufferfest. It was a well thought out process (over a year) with thorough research involved (DC Rainmaker, GPLama, Tacx Faqx and hours of review combing). Narrowed it down to The Italians (Elite), the Americans (Wahoo) and the Netherlands (Tacx). In the meantime Garmin acquired Tacx and here we are today. Final two were the Wahoo KICKR V5 and the Tacx Neo 2T. Review nightmares about "the NEO Tacx time bomb" or "Wahoo's firmware issues" made it extremely hard to choose. Neo 2T cost a bit more but has a few more bells and whistles. The KICKR has the climb. I decided on the NEO 2T with it's 2 year warranty compared to the KICKR one year. The road feel and the freewheel effect going down hill in Zwift is cool. The smoothness and responsiveness in ERG mode of the NEO 2T is amazing. I own Garmin GPS devices so I figured the integration with Tacx can only get better. So far I'm extremely happy with my decision and keeping the faith that this top of the line machine with a top of the line price will last a long while. Oh yeah, I used the VIP points to by the Sterzo but that's another review.

Have been using a Kickr Snap for three years without any major problems. Unfortunately, it required a spin down before every ride to get accurate speed and power results. That spin down didn't happen very often. Enter the Tacx Neo 2T! No spin down required, no tire to air up, no tire slipping and no cleaning up tire debris. The Neo 2T ride is smooth and feels like you are outside and virtually no maintenance. Using the Neo 2T it on Zwift is a major upgrade in that you can "feel" the road and power is accurate and now my speed has improved noticeably. With the Bike Tire Direct discounted price the Neo 2T was only a little more than the Kickr. If you can afford this trainer, buy it! No regrets here!!

The Neo 2T was easy to set up, works great, and is much quieter than the drive train on the bike. Take it out of the box, put on a cassette and you're ready to roll. Has been working perfectly for several months now. Love being able to ride inside on rainy days.